Sunscreen shock: Just how safe is sunscreen for our kids?

With several organisations calling for improved safety testing of sunscreens for the presence of nanoparticles, many parents are now asking whether the lotion they slop on their kids to protect from sunburn could actually be a health hazard.

Environmental group Friends of the Earth has launched ACCC complaints accusing two Australian manufacturers of sunscreen for various brands – Antaria Limited and Ross Cosmetics – of misleading and deceptive conduct for marketing sunscreens as “non-nano” and “nanoparticle-free’ when they contained nano-materials.

It claims some of Australia’s biggest sunscreen brands are affected, including products such as Cancer Council ‘Classic’, Invisible Zinc ‘Junior’ and ‘Body’ sunscreens, Coles ‘Sports’ and Woolworths ‘Clear Zinc’.

What are nano-materials and are they dangerous?

Nano-materials in sunscreens are tiny, invisible-to-the-naked-eye particles of the metals titanium dioxide and zinc oxide that are thousands of times smaller than a strand of hair.

According to the consumer watchdog CHOICE, they exhibit different properties compared with larger particles of the same material, due mostly to the high surface to volume ratio. This can make the particles very reactive.

Whether they’re harmful to human health or not is an area of great controversy and one which Friends of the Earth says needs much more research. The basis for most of the concerns around nanoparticles is their small size and potential to penetrate cells with relatively unknown impacts on how they interact with biological systems.

“Alarmingly little research has been conducted into the health risks associated with nano-ingredients in sunscreen. However there are growing health concerns among scientists and skin specialists, including fears that nano-ingredients in sunscreens could lead to cancer,” says Dr Crocetti. of Friends of the Earth’s Nanotechnology Project.

“Dermatologists and toxicologists have made public warnings that people with damaged skin, young children, and people who use sunscreens very regularly are at greater risk of exposure to nano-materials and should avoid using nano-sunscreens. It is deeply concerning that people trying to avoid nano-ingredients have been misled in this way.”

When it comes to knowing if they’re in sunscreens (now that it seems the labelling is allegedly misleading), Friends of the Earth says that any sunscreens that contain the active ingredients zinc oxide or titanium dioxide and also rub on clear may contain nano-ingredients.

Cancer Council: Nanoparticles do not pose a risk

The Cancer Council Australia, whose own sunscreens have ended up on the list of those that contain nanoparticles despite being marketed as free of them, has a page on its website, updated in May this year, saying that nanotechnology has been used in sunscreens for many years.

“To date, our assessment, drawing on the best available evidence, is that nanoparticulates used in sunscreens do not pose a risk,” the Cancer Council says, citing a 2009 review undertaken by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration.

“There is plenty of evidence, however, proving that sunscreen can help reduce the risk of skin cancer, in particular non-melanoma skin cancer.”

What are the alternatives?

For consumers worried about using sunscreens containing nanoparticles, there are alternatives as well as some valuable information to know when choosing your lotions.

When it comes to knowing if they’re in sunscreens, particularly if you don’t trust the labelling, Friends of the Earth says that any sunscreens that contain the active ingredients zinc oxide or titanium dioxide and also rub on clear will probably contain nano-ingredients.